The Clown Prince of Crime
by emberella
Summary: Jade moves to Gotham after the tragic death of her parents harbouring a strange obsession with the psyche of the bad guys...
1. Landing in Gotham

Jade looked out of the small window of the plane to view a snapshot of the cold, foggy evening that was awaiting her in Gotham City. The plane began it's slow and calculated descent to the sound of the captains' overly-rehearsed announcement,  
"Good evening ladies and gentleman, this is your captain speaking to inform you that we will be landing shortly. Please fasten your seatbelts and return the seats to their upright positions. We thank you for your cooperation and patience."  
She tightened her seatbelt as the colour drained from her face. Her knuckles whitened as she clenched them and snapped her eyelids shut. If she never got on a plane again, she thought, it would be too soon.

About an hour later Jade emerged from the airport building into the frosty night. She was pushing a luggage trolley that seemed to be carrying more luggage than any typical holiday goer would. Passers-by would have half expected her family to exit the building in tow, but no, she was completely and utterly alone. She lit up a cigarette with shaking hands in an attempt to calm her nerves as she recovered from the flight. Why did she agree to this? It's one thing to agree to go and live with a family member that lives halfway across the world, but it's another to agree to go and live with a family member who lives halfway across the world **in Gotham**. She knew the stories. Unfortunately, living in the U.K had not shielded her from the knowledge that Gotham was a dangerous place. Even without the organised crime, there were still a lot of lunatics that resided here, a lot of powerful lunatics. That's what they use Arkham for, she supposed. Despite all this, she couldn't help but find a fascination in the whole thing. That was part of the reason she'd agreed to this a life long obsession with the messed up psyche of the bad guys.

As the streetlight marking the entrance to the car park flickered, she saw a large, leaf green people carrier turn the corner towards her. That's them she thought to herself, that's my family. Even without knowing, she could surmise. This was because to her that was the car you bought when you knew you'd made it. That was the car you bought when you had kids and a successful career and a house and a lawnmower. That was the car she knew she'd never have.  
"Hello Jade, wow you must've grown a foot since the last time I saw you! What are you now, 6 foot?!", mused Uncle Mike light-heartedly as he started loading the mountain of suitcases into the aptly sized car.  
"Yeah what's it been, ten years?", she retorted with an air of bitterness. She knew fine well that her Dad's side of the family hadn't wanted anything to do with her since they moved over here.  
"Errm Jade, you know that had nothing to do with you right? I'm sorry that we couldn't have met again under better circumstances. Everyone is super excited to see you, you've got 6 new cousins to meet! And Ella's missed you so much." You could tell he was really trying at this point by mentioning her cousin and ex-best friend.  
"Listen, cut the crap! You didn't even think to ring me after you left, you didn't even let me speak to Ella at all, and now you expect me to come with open arms to rekindle our relationship? Well, news flash, my family just died and I'm not in the rekindling mood. If I had any other choice than this, believe me, I would've chosen it. Please just drive me home."

To Uncle Mike, the silence in the car was excruciating. All he'd wanted to do was to make amends but it seemed to him like she turned out just as messed up as her Dad was. To Jade, on the other hand, it was blissful. She extended her long legs, propping her feet up on the dash, practically daring her uncle to say something. He didn't. Her eyes, heavy from fatigue, drifted over to the wing mirror to find that she was a mess. Her long, dark brown hair that had been straight eight hours ago, was now damp and knotted from the precipitation in the air. As if that wasn't enough, her heavily lined, blue eyes were giving the effect of a panda rather than a cat.

 **SCREEEEECHHH**! The car came to an abrupt halt, narrowly avoiding the car in front which had apparently done the same. Jade struggled to keep herself rooted in her seating position.  
"WHAT THE HELL!" Shouted the young girl's uncle.  
"SHIT WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Jade was almost on the floor at this point, trying to wriggle herself back up with her feet stuck on the dashboard.  
Uncle Mike was just starting his lecture on the use of offensive language, especially around his children when the source of the pile-up became apparent. A purple Vaydor sped past in a blur and another **SCREEEEECHHH**! The windows were rolled down which allowed the sound of maniacal laughter to escape the car for all to hear. The sound crept down the spines of all who heard it with a sense of foreboding. Jade promptly opened the sunroof to stand up and receive a better view. Looking in the direction from which the car had come, she could see at least ten GCPD cars making the chase. The girl was embarrassed to admit to herself that the whole thing had given her a thrill.  
"Shit!" Uncle Mike was not quite able to believe what he was seeing.  
"What happened to the use of language?" She questioned jokingly as she returned to her seat.  
"Jade you don't understand..." Trailed her Uncle.  
"What's the issue? Whoever that was, they're gone now so let's just go." She couldn't understand why one purple car had shaken him so much. She thought that living in Gotham would have gifted the man with thicker skin.  
"I've never actually seen him." You could tell he was in total disbelief from the shade of his complexion the wideness of his old-looking eyes.  
"WHO!?"  
"Jade, the man driving that car was The Joker."


	2. An Obvious Move of Lunacy

_**Author's Note:**_ _Just wanted to thank everyone for all the views, favorites and follows. It means the world to me that people actually want to read this. Also wanted to let you know that I have taken some of the reviews I received into consideration and made some minor changes to the previous chapter if you would like to skim back over it. I really want this to be the best that I can possibly make it. I honestly just wrote chapter one on a whim to try this out and had no plan to continue but let's see where this goes :') xxx_

Jade hugged her knees as she lay in the enclosed, claustrophobic space between the bed and the floor. Her breathing was heavy and tears were swimming down her face to meet the pool of red that awaited them on the plush carpet. The shadow of a tall man seemed to dance across the wall as it moved menacingly towards her in the low light of the dimly lit bedroom. The sound of children's screams rang in her ears to the point of near insanity. Then she woke up.

Why she thought, am I so cold? Her toes curled against the rough, damp surface they were standing upon. A shiver travelled through her body along with the traumatic memory of a dream that had haunted her since it had all happened. It was at this point she realised that she was in fact outside. It must be nearing dawn, she thought to herself, as she observed the sky overhead warming in hues of orange and red. Still rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she turned on her heel to see the impressive home that she could now call her residence. As Jade began pacing towards the door, she could hear a commotion of sirens and screams in the distance. In a turn of her head, she saw the devastating image that the effect of sleep had previously denied her. It had not as she had originally thought reached the end of her first night in Gotham, instead, the night sky was being illuminated by the presence of a brilliant fire. Still dazed from her dream, Jade stared at the blaze for a moment, admiring the beauty of it. Wait. She came to her senses all at once. The centre of Gotham lay in that direction.

She raced inside and bashed the power button of the television flicking through the endless channels to find the news.  
"News just in, the Gotham National Bank is ablaze in the centre of the city. Our reporters are working hard to bring you up to date with the details on this story. However, the unofficial report is that the Joker has struck again. Ladies and gentleman, I regret to inform you that after months upon months of successful bank robberies at the hands of him and his evil henchman, he has made his final statement. Starting the fire is an obvious move of lunacy but I can confirm that it was started internally after an excessive sum of money was stolen. Unfortunately, it is believed that we will never know the extent of his crimes on this occasion due to the burning of all evidence. We will be returning with regular updates throughout the night. Please lock your doors and stay inside." A picture of the joker appeared on the screen, apparently to warn the general public of his dangerousness and his most wanted status. From his bleached skin to his bright green hair to his tattoos the man didn't look like the approachable type anyway. Despite this, his blue, marble-like eyes entranced her as she felt she was having a glimpse into the purest depths of his unhinged soul.  
"If he wanted to get in, I'm sure a locked door wouldn't stop him, mister." She mumbled quietly to herself as she switched it off. She began the tiptoed ascent of the stairs before halfheartedly turning around to lock the door.

Her toes were now comfortably cushioned on the clouds of carpet beneath her feet. She was appreciating the difference between this and the icy tarmac on her way across the landing as she heard the low hiss of whispered voices. This must be her Aunt and Uncles room she guessed. She silently pressed her ear to the door, shamelessly eavesdropping on their late night conversation.  
"I didn't know what to say to her Lisa. I mean what do you say to someone who's Father..."  
"You don't have to say anything to her Mike. As long as we are going to be there for her, that's all that matters. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, the poor girl's had enough to deal with and from the sound of it, she's in denial so let's just cut her some slack." She had heard all about Jade's attitude from her husband.  
"He was my brother." Was all the reply that Mike could muster.

Jade felt a hand on her back and panicked. To say she jumped a foot in the air would not have been an exaggeration.  
"It's only me." A girl with long luscious locks of blonde was staring at her through the darkness.  
"Sorry, do I know you?" Responded Jade with a look of contempt.  
"It's me, Ella. Listen, Jade, I was so sorry to hear about your parents and the twins. I'm just glad you're here now, I've missed you."  
"Are you kidding me? You're glad I'm here?! Well, that's so good for you, isn't it? I'm so glad that you're happy." She made for her bedroom door, she didn't want to raise her voice but this was testing her temper.  
"I just meant that I know what you all went through with your Dad and I'm glad you're away from it now. It was horrible the way things panned out for you but I hope we can still be friends." Ella was doing some serious backtracking at this point, Jade was a walking mess and she knew it.  
"I don't know what you think I went through, but I have had the best time with my family since you left and they died in a CAR CRASH!" With that, she slammed the door to a room that was not hers. She no longer cared who she woke. Jade flung herself onto a bed that was not hers and proceeded to scream into a pillow that was also not hers. She could hear the sounds of little Nancy crying-this was her doing. It proved an uncanny echo to the dream that she had earlier and knew she'd keep on having. Insomnia set in as she stared into the pitch black oblivion. The two blue marbles that had presented themselves to her earlier were the only things that kept her sane that night, rolling around and around and around in her head.


	3. Method to My Madness

Aunt Lisa moved her attention from child to child in the hectic kitchen, triple checking that they were prepared for the day. As a Mother of seven, she had clearly mastered this skill long ago.  
"Morning Jade, up late? You look tired." She remarked while attending to the buttons upon 7-year-old Ethan's shirt. Jade was carelessly reclining on the sofa of the open plan kitchen/living area. The dark circles beneath her deep blue eyes were undeniable and her bed-head was impressive, to say the least.  
"No I'm fine, I get my under eye circles from my Father." With this, an awkward silence hovered over them all. It felt infinitely empty and longed to be filled with words. Nobody spoke. It was only with the TOOT of the school bus that the morning routine was resumed once again. Like clockwork, each of the children kissed their Mother goodbye and trooped outside. The only flaw in this well-rehearsed drill, Ella racing back to pick up her "forgotten" phone from the coffee table and "accidently" dropping a piece of paper in Jade's lap. Upon inspection, it read,

Jade,  
Sorry about last night, I believe you and just want us to get to know each other again. My boyfriend Lewis says he can get you a job in the bar where he works if you're interested? You can earn some extra cash and it would give you something to do. The bar is called Bailey's on the outskirts of town and Lewis said he'll meet you there at six. Hope we're okay now, enjoy your day.  
Ella xxx

Jade had to admit, she appreciated the gesture. Perhaps she'd been unfair, how could Ella have known? This was a good thing. Anyway if she was stuck in this house all day she'd go crazy!

Since Uncle Mike had left in the early hours of the morning ("Patients don't wait!"), Aunt Lisa, Jade and baby Nancy were now the only ones left in the well-decorated room. The white tiles of the kitchen contrasted heavily to the deep red paint on the walls of the living area. Although she would never admit it, this subconsciously reminded Jade of the memory...no dream of the warm, wet, sticky blood gathering in a puddle around her. The thought of this gave her a sickly feeling in her stomach, rising from the pit of her belly until it consumed her whole. The tension caused by Jade's earlier remark was thick in the air and the divide between Aunt and Niece was due to more than the break in the tiles where the carpet began. The next hour continued much the same, Lisa pretending that Jade didn't exist and Jade more than happy to return the favour.  
"I've got to go and drop Nancy off at daycare now before I go to work. Make yourself at home and I'll see you later." There was no emotion in her Aunts statement as she left the Jade to her afternoon of solitude. She heard the click of the lock as her Aunt departed and not much else.

The television created a background of white noise that Jade fell in and out of as and when she took an interest.  
"...confirm that the Joker is still at large. No report yet on his whereabouts, but there's no doubt he is laying low, planning his next move against the city of Gotham." Without warning, the screen cut to black, and there was The Joker. The camera work was shoddy and the lighting was dim but it was definitely him. Those blue marbles sparked something deep in the pit of Jade, something unexplainable.  
"LAAADDDIIIIEEEESSSS AAANNNNDDD GGGEENNNTTTLLLEEEEMMMAAAANN, BBOOYYYSS AAAANNND GGIIRRRLLLS!" With that, he became his own twisted version of a ringmaster, not a clown- standing in the middle of his orchestrated chaos.  
"I come to you this morning with a purpose, my FIIIIIINNNNEEEE AUUUDDDIEEENCCCE!" He flared the end of every sentence which only added to his twisted method of articulation.  
"Mr newsreader here thinks that I have a strategy, let's call it a method to my madness. All of those silly important people try and explain away my whims with psychiatry and humanity. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, BLAH!" For a moment, he seemed as though his mind was somewhere else as he combed back his green hair and growled at the camera, his metal teeth reflecting in the little light that there was.  
"Well, what I am here tell you is, I. Have. No. Plan. There is no method to my madness. There is no reason to my treason. You can't rationalise insanity people so STOP TRYING!" At first, his diction seemed mocking but it quickly evolved into raw anger.  
"I do what I do because I can and because it's fun. END OF STORY!" At this point, he turned up the collar of his purple coat and kissed the lens of the camera, casting a red shadow over everything in the frame.  
"I'm afraid my fabulous audience that our show is coming to an end." He stretched his pale, inked hands towards the sky and cracked his neck before jumping as close to the camera as possible in a spasmodic fashion. His face appeared to light up with joy as the anonymous cameraman jumped back in fear or shock, it was impossible to tell which.  
"I leave you with this parting message, tonight looks to be shaping up as another fun night for me so I hope you're ready to come out and play citizens of Gotham. Oh and special thanks to our WOOONNNDDDERRRFFUULLL cameraman who specialises in the use of blur and shakiness for, shall we say, dramatic effect!" The Joker covered his serious expression with the tattoo on his left hand. The Cheshire-like grin filled the screen along with the "damaged" label upon his brow. A single gunshot. The camera pointed to the ceiling. The laughter of a raving lunatic. Cut to black.

Jade stared at the black screen, morbidly fascinated by that which she had just witnessed. There was something about that man that made her squirm, although not necessarily in a bad way. She was well aware that when she looked upon this maniac all she should feel was pure hatred, but she couldn't help but see part of herself reflected back at her in those beautiful blue marbles.


End file.
